Industrial truck



l April 8, 1947.- l D. M. PALM 2,418,661

INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Filed Jan. 19, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 v Cil. I Y

INVENTUR.

April 8, 1947. D. M. PALM INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Filed JanQlQ, 194s 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v l .ifi-f INVENTOR.

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Patented Apr. 8, 17947 2,418,661 INDUSTRIAL TRUCK Dwight M. Palm, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, assignor to Towmotor Ctlirporation, Cleveland,.0hio,

a. corporation of Application January 19, 1946, Serial No. 642,223

16 Claims- (Cl.'214113) trucks to be removed therefrom by power-opere ated pushing members.

A more limited object ofthe invention is to provide an operating mechanism for such push# ing members which is simple in construction and efficient in operation and the operating parts of which will not interfere with the accessibility of the operator to his operating station or platy form.

A still further object of the invention is to provide, for trucks of standard construction, pusher-operating mechanisms the major elements of which can be assembled and thereafter installed as assembled units upon such trucks.

Further and more limited objects of the invention will be set forth at greater length hereinafter and will be realized in and through the construction and arrangement of parts shown in the drawings hereof, wherein Fig. 1 represents in broken lines a side elevational view Cf the front portion of an industrial truck equipped with a pushing member and with operating mechanism therefor constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 a front elevational view of the parts shown in Fig,v 1; Fig. 3 a sectional elevational view of the telescoping members by which one side of the pushing member is operated, together with portions of the elements by which the telescoping members are operated; Fig.4 a detail in section corresponding to the line 4--4 of Fig. 3 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 5 a detail in section taken on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2.

Describing by reference characters the various parts shown herein, I 0 denotes the hood, II one of the side member l2 one of the front wheels, i3 the side members of the mast, and I4 the steering wheel of an industrial truck of well known construction, the aforesaid parts being shown in broken lines. I5 denotes the bottom transverse plate, I6 the top, and I1 the sides of a standard carriage which is mounted for vertical movement along the mast members I3, tb'` carriage being shown as provided with -a load support, such as forks I 8, secured thereto in any approved standard manner as by a shaft IB extending through the upper ends thereof and being supported by the sides l1 of the carriage.

The carriage is intended to be operated in the usual manner for vertical movement along the mast members I3 through any well-known ele# vating and lowering means (not illustrated).

Secured upon the top member I6 of the carriage is a vertical extension thereof, the said extension having a bottom member I9 secured on top of the top member I6 of the carriage and being provided with side members 2U constituting extensions of the .side members oi' the said carriage and with a top cross member 2| connecting the side members below the tops thereof. The extensions 20Fl of the side members 20 are provided with openings forthe reception of the journal portions of a rock shaft 22, there being bearing bosses 2l and 23 for the said journal portions carried by the ends of the cross v member 2l and by the upper ends of the side 4center lug 28D members 20.

Secured to the shaft 22 adjacent to and within the bearing bosses-2| arel hubs 24, each provided with forks 25 constituting lever arms which support journal pins 2,6 at their outer ends to which pins the upper ends of piston rods 21 are connected, the said piston rods having each a piston 2lib1 at its lower end mounted in a cylinder 28, each cylinder being pivotally supported by a pivotally connected by 4a pin 29 to and between the rear ends of brackets 30 secured to a plate 3l extending transversely of the main carriage and connected to the side members I1 thereof.

32 denotes lever arms rigidly connected at their upper endsto opposite ends of the shaft 22 by means of hubs 32-and each pivotally connected at its lower end at 32b to the rear end of a pusher bar 33, the front of which is pivotally connected at 33a to the rear lug of a bracket M fastened to the appropriate side member 35 oi' I a load-pusher, said pusher comprising the side members 35 which form part of a frame including a top rnembe'i` 36 and a bottom member 31. Vertical bracing members 38 connect the top and bottom members 36 and 31, and the aforesaid frame and bracing members may, where desirable or necessary, support a heavy wire-mesh load-engaging surface, in which case the edges of the wire mesh may be clamped against the top, side and bottom members by means of angle irons 35e, 35D, 36, 3,6", 31 and 31h, respectively, which angle irons may be secured in place as by welding. Part of such wire mesh surface is indicated at 39, the remaining portion of the surface being omitted for the purpose of clearness oi illustration of the parts` therebehind.

.ing member as well as to maintain the same against rocking movement about an axis extending transversely thereof while being moved toward'and from the mast, I have provided the following construction: I

40 denotes bracket plates which are secured to the side members of the carriage by bolts 4i and nuts 42. 43 denotes channeled guiding and supporting members the base'or web of each of which is secured to the appropriate bracket plate 40 and extends rearwardly and horizontally therefrom, being shown as extending substantially as far as the rear of the hood i0. Each guiding and supporting member is provided with a cover 44 secured to the flanges thereof as by screws 45. Slidably mounted and closely fitted within the channeled guiding and supporting members v43. 44

arev intermediate channeled guiding and supporting members 46 provided each with a cover 41 secured to the anges thereof. slidably mounted and closely fitted within each of these inter'-l mediate channeled members is a third channeled member 48, the outer end of each of the mernbers 48being rigidly connected to the appropriate side member 35 of the load pusher frame by bolts 49.

` 4 movement about a horizontal axis by the channeled members 43 and their covers 44. The positions which the parts assume at the end of a full stroke of the load pusher are shown in broken lines in Fig. 1. The load pusher and the parts connected thereto and movable therewith can be returned to thel position shown in full lines by supplying pressure fluid to the bottoms of the cylinders 28 through suitable hose connections (not shown) Among the advantages of my invention are the following:

With the exception of the members 43, 44, 43, 41 and 48 and theoperating pistons and cylinders, the pusher-operating mechanismcan be assembled, and applied thereafter, as-a unit tothe rear of a carriage such as forms part of the standard equipment of certain type of industrial trucks.

If, for any reason, it should be desirable to remove the load pusher and its mechanism, this removal'can be quickly and conveniently eifected.

Where the forks or other load carrying members art not of unusual length, the operating parts for the load pushing member will al1 be located in front of the operators entrance to the truck.

l The load pushing member will be maintained against sagging toward the forks or platform during the movements toward and from the carriage. v

50 denotes pusher arms each of which is pivoti ally connected at itsrear or outer end, as shown at 5I, to the appropriate arm 32 and at its front or inner end being provided with forks 52 for the reception of a pin 53, extending through said forks and through a lug 46l extending upwardly from and connected to the top of the intermediate member supported by and movable with said carchannel member 46, 41. It will be noted that the outer end of each of the arms 5G is connected to an arm 32, preferably midway of the length of the latter.

With the parts constructed and arranged as described, and assuming that the load-pushing member is in its retracted position wherein it may bear against the front of the carriage and thev vertical extension thereof and also assuming that there is a load upon the forks. i8 which it is desired to disengage therefrom, pressure duid is supplied to the tops of the cylinders 28 by suitable hose connections (not shown) thereby pulling the outer ends of the lever arms 25 downwardly and rocking the shaft' 22 in a direction to cause the lower ends of the 4arms 32 to move the pusher bars 33 and the load pushing member forwardly.

As the load pushing member moves forwardly, the

channel members 48 will move therewith in a direction at substantially right angles to the sides of the carriage but will be maintained in such direction of movement as well as against movement about a horizontal axis by the intermediate channeled guiding and supporting members 46, 41, which also move forwardly substantially half the distance that the members t3 are moved, whereby thelatter members are supported against movement about a horizontal axis, the rear or inner ends of the intermediate guiding and supporting members 46, 41 being in turn supported for movement/in a direction at substantially right angles to the sides of the carriage and against The entire mechanism may be appliedto existjing types of trucks without alteration of the {operatlngparts thereof and merely by the addition to .such trucks of the elements which constitute the said mechanism.

The entire mechanism can be constructed and incorporated in a truck of standard construction' at a comparatively small expense.l

Having thus described my invention, what I ,claim is:

1. -In an industrial truck having a frame, a mast and a carriage supported for vertical movements by and along said mast; a load pushing riage and means for moving the same forwardly and rearwardly with respect to said carriage, said' means comprising pusher bars pivotally connected at their front ends to opposite side portions of said load-pushing member, power operated means also supported by said carriage and pivotally ,connected to the rear ends of said pusher bars, for moving the latter simultaneously forwardly and rearwardly, supporting members connected to opposite side portions of said load pushing member and movable f therewith, means mounted on the carriage and slidably restraining the said supporting members against vertical movement during the movements fof the load pushing member toward and from the carriage by said pusher bars, and a load support secured to and extending forwardly from said carriage beneath the bottom of said load pushing member.

2. In an industrial truck having a frame, a

mast and a carriage supported for vertical movements by and along said mast; a load-pushing member supported by and movable with said carriage and means for reciprocating thesame with respect to said carriage, the said means comprising a rock shaft extending transversely of and supported by said carriage, power operated means also supported by said carriage for operating said rock shaft, arms secured to opposite end portions of said rock shaft and extending downwardly therefrom, pusher bars pivotally connected at I their rear ends to the lower portions of said arms, pivotal connections between the front ends the carriageand slidably restraining the supporty ing members against vertical and sidewise move-` ment during the movements of the load-pushing member toward and from the carriage.

3. In an industrial truck having a frame, a

.mast and a carriage supported for vertical movements by and along said mast; a load-pushing member and means for reciprocating the same with respect to said carriage, the said means comprising a rock shaft extending transversely of and supported by said carriage, power operated means also supported by said carriage for operating said rock shaft, arms secured to opposite end portions of said rock shaft and extending` downwardly therefrom, pusher bars pivotally connected at their rear ends to the lower portions of said arms, pivotal connections between the front ends of said bars and th`e respective side portions of the load pushing member, longitudinally extending guiding and supporting members secured to` opposite sides of said carriage and extending rearwardly therefrom, longitudinally extensible members slidably supported by said guiding and supporting members and connected to opposite i side portions of said load-pushing member for restraining the latter against vertical movements while being operated by said pusher bars and a load support secured to and extending forwardly from said carriage beneath the bottom of said load-pushing member.

4. In an industrial truck having a frame, a mast and a carriage supported for vertical movements by and along said mast; a load-pushing member-and means for reciprocating the same with respect to said carriage, the said means comprising a rock shaft extending transversely of and supported by said carriage, power operated means also supported by said carriage for operating said rock shaft. arms secured to opposite end portions of saidrrock shaft 'and extending downwardly therefrom, pusher bars pivotally connected at their rear ends to the lower portions -of said arms, pivotal connections between the front ends'of said bars and opposite side portions of said load-pushing member, longitudinally extending supports secured to and extending rearwardly from opposite side portions of said carriage, intermediate longitudinally extending supporting members reciprocably supported by raid supports, longitudinally extending supporting members slidably supported by said intermediate supporting members and connected at their front ends to opposite side portions of said pushing member, and means for moving the intermediate supporting membersl along their supports thereby to sustain the longitudinally extending supporting members as they are being moved, together with the load-pushing member, by the said pusher bars.

5. In the industrial truck set forth in claim 4, the means for moving the intermediate supporting members comprising pusher arms connected to the first-mentioned arms intermediately of the ends thereof.

6. In the industrial truck set forth in claim 4 a load support secured to and extending forwardly from the carriage beneath the bottom of the load-pushing member.

7. An industrial truck having a frame, a mast and a carriage supported for vertical movements pivotal connections between the front'ends of by and along said mast; a load-pushing member and means for reciprocating the same with respect to said carriage. said means comprising a Y rock shaft extending transversely of and supported by said carriage, power means also supported by said carriage for operating said rock.

shaft.' arms secured to opposite end portions of said rock shaft and extending downwardly therefrom, pusher bars pivotally connected at their rear ends to the lower portions of said arms and said bars and opposite side portions of said loadpushing member, longitudinally extending guiding and supporting members secured to and extending rearwardly from side portions of said carriage, an intermediate guiding and supporting member slidably supported by each of the first j mentioned guiding andsupporting members and .means pivotally connecting intermediate portions of said arms with the said intermediate guiding and supporting members, and supporting members slidably supported by each of the last mentioned members and'connected at their front ends to opposite vside portions of the load-pushing member whereby, when the load-pushing member is moved forwardly by the operation of the rockshaft, the intermediate guiding and supporting 'members will also be moved forwardly with their rear portions supported by the' first mentioned guidingand supporting members while4 their front portions support the rear portions of the third mentioned supporting members when the load-pushing member is at the 'extreme end of its forward movement.

8. In the industrial truck set fortis, in claim '1, a load support secured to and extending forwardly from the carriage beneath the bottom of the load-pushing member.

9. In an industrial truck having a frame, a. mast and a carriage supported for vertical movements by and along said mast;` a load-pushing member and means for reciprocating the same with respect to said carriage, said means comprising e'. rock shaft extending transversely of and supported by said carriage, power means also supported by said carriage forl operating said,"

rock shaft, arms secured to opposite end portions of said rock shaft and extending downwardly therefrom, pusher bars pivotally connected at their rear ends to the lower portions of said arms and pivotalV connections between the front ends of said bars` and opposite side portions ot said members being secured at their outer ends toV opposite side portions of said load-pushing member, the said intermediate guiding and supporting members being of such length that, whenv the load-pushing member is in its extreme forward position, the rear ends of the supporting members connected thereto will be supported by the front portions of the intermediate guiding and supporting members and the rear portions of the latter members will be supported by the for- 7 ward portions of the iirstmentioned guiding and supporting members, and means for imparting to the intermediate guiding and supportingmembers movements of less extent than are imparted to the load-pushing member by the pusher bars.

10. In the industrial truck set forth in claim 9, a load support secured to and extending forwardly from the carriage beneath the bottom of the load-pushing member.

11. In the industrial truck set forth in claim 9, the first mentioned guiding and supporting members comprising each a channel secured to a side portion of the carriage and each intermediate guidingand supporting member also comprising a channel slidably mounted within a rst mentioned channel, and the members which are slidably mounted within the intermediate guiding and supporting members being also channels. and a load-supporting member secured to and extending forwardly i'rom the carriage beneath the bottom of the load-pushing member.

12. In the industrial truck set forth in claim 9, the means for imparting movements to thevintermediate guiding and supportingl members comprising pusher arms. pivotally connected at their rear ends to the first mentioned arms intermediately of the ends of the latter and pivotally connected at their front ends to said intermediate guiding and supporting members.

13. In the industrial truck set forth in claim 2, the power means yfor operating the rock shaft comprising lever arms secured to and rigid with the said rock shaft; cylinders pivotally supported each at one end from said carriage, pistons within said'cylinders, and piston rods for said cylinders having their to the outer ends ofthe said lever arms.

14. In the industrial truck set forth in claim 2,v the power means for operating the rock shaft comprising lever arms secured to and rigid with the said rock shaft, the said lever arms being spaced inwardly from the iirst mentioned arms. brackets secured to side portions of the carriage. cylinders pivotally supported at their lower ends by'said brackets, pistons within said cylinders, and piston rods for said cylinders having their upper ends pivotally connected to the outer ends of said lever arms. j

15. In the industrial truck set forth in claim 7, the means pivotally connecting intermediate porouter ends pivotally connected 4 n mast and a carriage supported for vertical movevments by and along said mast, a load-pushing member supported by and movable with said carriage and means for reciprocating the same forwardly and rearwardly with respect to said carriage, said means comprising arms and means for rotatably supporting the same from opposite side portions of the said carriage, the said arms extending downwardly and normally rearwardly from their pivotal supports, pusher bars pivotally connected at their rear ends to the lower portions of Asaid arms and extending forwardly therefrom, pivotal connections between the front ends of said bars and the respective side portions oi the load pushing member, supporting members connected to opposite side portions of said load pushing member and movable therewith, means mounted on the carriage and slidably restraining the said supporting members against `vertical movement during the movements of the load pushing member toward and from the carriage, power operated means also supported by and movable with the carriage, and connections between said power operated means and the said arms for simultaneously rocking the same in the same direction about their respective pivotal supports.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are oi' record in the` iile of this patent:

- UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Travel] June 22, 1926 Armstrong May 15, 1928 Cope et a1 Feb. 16, 1943 Drott et al Aug. 10, 1943 Wilms Mar. 20, 1945 Alfonte Nov. 6, 1945 May 19, 1946 Richey DWIGHT M. PALM. v

Foglesong July 15, 1902 

